Little Things Mean A LOT!

SO, in my effort of going through PILES and PILES of papers, 
 craft stuff, office supplies, holiday decor, gift wrapping/giving supplies, I came across a folder of papers from my work and I had this hanging at my desk the majority of the time I worked.  It was a paper entitled 
"Little Things Mean A Lot" 
and I remember daily looking at it and trying to make sure I was working on each thing on the list.

They are too good to keep to myself, 
so I thought I would share them and hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
(and now I can throw the paper in the garbage...
one less paper cluttering my life!)

Sing in the shower... Plant a tree on your birthday... Watch a sunrise at least once a year... Compliment three people every day...  Never refuse homemade brownies... Buy whatever it is kids are selling on card tables in their front yards... Floss your teeth...  Strive for excellence, not perfection...  Wear polished shoes...  Say "Thank you" a lot...  Say "Please" a lot...  Overtip breakfast waitresses...  Learn three clean jokes...  Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know...  Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures...  Leave everything a little better than you found it...   Returned borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full...  Avoid negative people...  Remember people's birthdays...  Have a firm handshake...  Carry jumper cables in your trunk...  Send LOTS of Valentine cards and sign them, "Someone who thinks you're terrific"...  Use the good silver, the good dishes and the nice towels...  Be the first to say, "Hello"...  Make some new friends, but cherish the old ones...  Keep secrets...  Don't expect life to be fair...   Wave at kids on school buses...  Look at people right in the eye...  Plant flowers every spring...  Be there when people need you...  Return all things you borrow...  Live your life as an Exclamation! NOT an explanation...  Never underestimate the power of love...  Rekindle old friendships...  Always accept an outstretched hand... Stop blaming others...  Don't be afraid to say "I made a mistake"...  Count your blessings...  Call your mother...  Keep your promises (NO matter what)...  Buy a kid a chocolate ice cream cone...  Feed a stranger's expired parking meter... Compliment even small improvements... Call Dad

 Have a wonderful day 

and I hope it is full of the many 

"little" things that bring 
so much joy and meaning to life!

Some Happy Things in my Life!

3:45 in the morning 
on August 31st,
 we heard cracking thunder outside our windows and the sky kept lighting up with some of the brightest lightning I have ever seen.
It awoke Tracy and I from our nightly slumber and we knew that any moment we would have kids bursting through our doors to join us!  Sure enough, Ethan and Jade came running in shortly after we made that comment and Ethan hopped right in our bed in the middle of us and snuggled in.
It felt like a moment from “The Sound of Music”. 

He was quite nervous. 

We sat there all cuddled together and watched and listened for the next hour as we experienced the craziest storm ever...which included hail and rain and we even  got up and went to our front porch and enjoyed watching the hail pummel down.

I had the words to this song going through my mind all day long …

”When the dog bites, when the bees sting, when I’m feeling bad. I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel…So bad!!

Here are some of my FAVORITE moments from the month of August that brought many SMILES, JOY and HAPPINESS to my life!
   
FAMILY moments and simple pleasures 
are truly the things that bring my life the most happiness!

BEAUTY...
I am surrounded by such an abundance of beauty where we live.  Right across the road from our driveway is a field of horses.  The sunset was perfect this night I snapped this photo.  I truly never tire of the changing colors of the morning/night sky. I treasure and enjoy each sunset that I am able to experience!

My kids arrived home safe and sound from my parents house.
It is always a bitter/sweet time sending my kids to my parents.  I love that they get lots of ONE on ONE with my parents, but I am always a little nervous and hope that they don’t get in an accident while driving.    
It’s truly one of my most joyous moments of the year,
when I see my kids drive up after their visit and to hug and kiss them and to know that they are home with me once again safe and sound! 

“I am the one and only”…
LOVE this song! 
(here to listen to it)
Tracy is always surprising me by purchasing songs on iTunes
and then coming home and hooking his iPhone up to our speakers and playing the newly purchased songs and surprising me with them while I’m getting dinner ready.  
This song always makes me smile  
and I haven’t heard it for years.  
While the kids were at my parents house for a few days, Tracy loaded 
“Doc Hollywood” on our NETFLIX and we watched this together.  
Can I just say how much I LOVE that show…
such a good show with a wonderful message!
It makes me both laugh AND cry!  Michael J. Fox is "The One and Only" and is definitely one of my all time favorite actors and plays the perfect character in this film!   
I could watch this film weekly and never tire of it.

LOVE NOTES…
 after a long hectic summer, I came home to an
open notebook on my counter with such a heartfelt note from Tracy… 
these notes mean more to me than any store bought gift!
These words touched my heart greatly to think how much I am loved and adored by my hubby.

(Click here for our FUN happy adventure of making tie-dye shirts and picking Huckleberries…these two moments definitely are at the top of the list of HAPPY moments for me in August)

Cross Country…

 Tis the time of year to head out and enjoy the weather and watch Jade run at his Cross Country meets…
  
I enjoy this time of year SO much and I love cheering Jade on from the sidelines while he runs.   
 He is awesome and ran such a great race this past week.

(I’m always amazed when I glance over at the team before a race and they are all kneeling down in a circle with arms folded and saying a prayer).   I’m also amazed at how NICE and kind all of his team members are to him.  He may be one of the slowest runners on the team, but he has one of the biggest fan clubs of anyone!

I spent a few days in August scanning in photos
from Tracy’s photo albums and his family’s photo albums  and every time I see a photo of Tracy when he was younger it just makes me melt looking at what an adorable little kid my handsome hubby used to be.   

Feeling so extremely blessed that our lives crossed paths 
during our college days and that I get to be the 
lucky one that got to marry him!

Eating lunch with Ethan at school…
 it’s amazing how such a little thing like going and eating lunch with kids is, but it is SO big to them!!  I'm savoring that he still takes my hand and walks with me down the hall when I come to the school to visit him and that he is excited to show me off to his friends. I'm sure once he gets in middle school next year things will be totally different.  What a priceless treasure these sweet moments in time are!     

Ethan devouring the Harry Potter series books… 

in the past month he has read the first four books and just started the 5th one.
He is an “action mode” kid and I love 
 that he has to have a wand in his hand
(that he cut and carved with his new knife he bought)
while he reads his books.
(anytime he comes across a spell in the book he has to 
hold his wand and say the spell…
truly priceless!)

 He has definitely caught the reading bug!!  
I am just sad he is growing up too fast. 
He reads every spare second he gets (there is many a lunch/dinner time, when he can't put down his books long enough to eat) AND anytime we go anywhere in the car, he takes his books with.
He is SO adorable and makes me SMILE lots with his enthusiasm and zest for life!

 It cracks me up when I see him squatting when he reads and sometimes when he eats. 
He could seriously sit like this for hours and it is comfy to him!!!

It was a joyous day when I finally got Easter taken down from my entry shelf and YAY, I actually have Fall/Autumn decorations up for us to enjoy this next season.
I love FALL...
love the crispness in the air, the color ORANGE, the gorgeous colors of the changing leaves, pumpkin patches, straw and corn mazes, hay rides, caramel apples and all of the many other things that come with Autumn Time...
love the yummy baking of apple pie, pumpkin muffins and cookies, spiced cider, meal in a pumpkin and bowls of hot chili...


SO grateful for the abundance of little things
in my life that make it so BIG!!
Happiness is NOT a new beautiful house with all of the latest trends,
or a new shiny car, or new clothes, or home decor...

HAPPINESS is... taking time to appreciate all
of life's "Simple Treasures & Pleasures"
Happiness is... enjoying wonderful experiences
& relationships with family and friends  
and
Happiness is... "Loving the Life You Have"!

Stained fingers bring joy!

Where have I been you might ask?
It's been one crazy, hectic, but enjoyable month, FULL of lots of family fun!!  

While working my daily job from 7-12 on  Monday-Friday and dealing with normal everyday life, I have had to squeeze into my life, planning a 50th wedding anniversary party, going to Cross-Country meets and other school activities, dealing with an abundance of produce, dealing with church callings and also having family from out of town and having events going on every evening with them as we try to experience the most fun that we can before they leave to head back to their home in Tennessee  
AND the weather has been amazing and so many an afternoon and evening has been spent outside enjoying the last of our wonderful, perfect and warm summer weather.

Thus, is the reason for my lack of posting and as I sit and type and wonder where to begin with posting again,  I am doing what I always do when confronted with a dilemma, 

just START at the easiest place there is and move forward...

So,  

I share with you, two wonderful moments that stained my fingers 

 and filled my life with such JOY and wonderful memories! 

Last week of summer vacation FUN!  
The kids and I tie-dyed shirts for us the last few days before school started and we had a ball…AND better than ever, they turned out awesome… 
so awesome in fact,
that the kids decided they wanted to wear them on the first day of school.
I had the tune “Feelin' Groovy” going through my head all day long.

We headed out on an afternoon adventure to Jenny Lake and Jackson Hole, Wyoming with some of Tracy's family and I made us all wear our matching tie-dye shirts...
LOVE this photo of us standing in front of the Tetons on the Wyoming Side of the mountains.

We were swimming in projects to be done with putting together things for a 50th wedding anniversary for Tracy’s parents,  LOTS of home improvement projects to get done before company came from out of town, but, believe it or not, 

"The mountains were calling me 

to come and pick their bounty" 

I would so much rather be out in mountains 

enjoying this time that only comes around once a year, 

picking berries, relaxing on a hillside 

enjoying great, stimulating conversation with my family and  

filling our buckets with handfuls of "purple gold". 

Projects can be done anytime of the year, but picking Huckleberries only has a small window of time...so we enjoyed two wonderful days! 

wow, Wow, WOW, 

is all I can say, the bushes were SO loaded with berries and the berries were as big as blueberries and some as big as cranberries...my hands couldn't pick them fast enough.

Truly an amazing huckleberry picking year!

 Adventure on Day One

YES, if you want to have buckets of huckleberries to enjoy, you encounter these friendly little guys, around many a bush. I was AMAZED at how many cat face spiders and webs we came across!

Adventure on day two!

We enjoyed huckleberry pancakes for dinner
and made Apple Huckleberry Pie with homemade ice cream for dessert the next night.
After sorting berries, spreading them on cookie sheets lined in wax paper, putting them in the freezer and freezing them and then bagging them,
we ended up with 51 cups of huckleberries (just a little over 3 gallons)

 Happiness is...being a little "wild, crazy and bold" from time to time
Happiness is...being spontaneous and enjoying whatever the moment has to offer.

Happiness is...enjoying the gorgeous beauty of the mountains with my hubby and kids.

Happiness is...enjoying muffins, pancakes, pie and smoothies, using berries that were picked by the hands of my family!

 I learn on a weekly basis, that you have to get your hands a little dirty from time to time to truly enjoy and experience life at its fullest!

  Happiness is...my wonderful, happy life!

In Search of Wildflowers...

I absolutely LOVE the wildflowers you see in the mountains! 

In fact, the mountains have inspired many of the things I have planted in my yard. I wanted to replicate the feel of being in the mountains in my yard. I love this time of the year as I have so many pretty flowers blooming in my yard. 

I can't get enough of being in the mountains and back country.  

July 6th, 2011

I had another Wednesday where I did CHATS from home from 7-9 am and then we had the rest of the day off.  As usual the kids wanted to go on a hike.  

I was SO excited as this time of the year the flowers are absolutely gorgeous! 

However, it's been a strange year and in many places on our hike, it was barely spring with snow still melting, plants just starting to sprout up and we had to look hard to find many blooming flowers.   

Even though it wasn't what I was expecting it was another perfect day out in nature with my family!

We have driven the drive SO many times over to Driggs Idaho, that we have never taken the time to top and read this sign.    

We learned so many interesting things that we never knew before. 

AND we had the most stunning view shown below! 

This view is exciting as we are just a few short miles away from the trail head to start our hike up Teton Canyon.
I never tire of looking at the wonderful Teton Mountains.

CRAZY...

this is a photo someone took on June 29th 

of how much snow was up Table Mountain. 

And we're heading down the trail 

for a wonderful hike!

My three favorite people!

Cool rocks we enjoyed while eating lunch!

Jade is SO excited to be out hiking!  

He is passionate about hiking and backpacking and he gets us out doing things, even though sometimes we'd rather stay at home and work on projects. 

Anytime we ask him what we should do for the day or the weekend, we always hear the same response...

"I want to go hiking"!!

Tracy doing what he does best on the trail...

stopping to talk and visit with other hikers!

What...Snow in July!

We had NO idea we were going to come across these snow fields so low in the Canyon.

This was debris from an avalanche that happened this winter.  LOTS of fallen trees.

I love looking down the trail 

and seeing my family hiking along. 

Jade is always the leader and then Ethan and then Tracy and I am usually at the end snapping photos of scenery, flowers, rocks, mountains, sky and of course, my favorite subjects of all...

MY FAMILY!!

Loved the way the snow had melted 

and created this edge along the stream.

Stopping for a snack break...

Made it to the fork in the road...

Love this kid...he is SO much fun to hike with!
His smile and zest for life make me melt!

Spring time in the high country...

As you can see with the photos on the right, 

the trees are just starting to bud out.

Crazy!

Made it half way up to Devil's Stairs,

but it was getting late and 

so we took photos and then headed back down

I LOVE this guy...

I never tire of being with him! 
  

And we're headed back down...

more snow to cross.

Awww...

nothing more sweet than a little boy 

that wants to be just like his dad! 

The family that hikes together, 

stays together!

And down some more...

across streams, 

mud and more snow!

Such beauty...

blossoming Pussy willows, 

with snow in the background in the month of July.

ACTION and energy 

of a nine year-old Ethan Kip!

Gorgeous sky, green foliage, 

and more snow fields to cross yet again...

Ethan spied these cool plants growing on one of the rocks we saw. 

He begged me to take a photo of them. 

I have to admit, they are pretty awesome looking!

I am truly going to miss it  

when my boys are all grown up and I don't have these views to see as we hike along. 

Ethan and Tracy are best friends and wherever Tracy is...Ethan is!
Love the profile of my cute, FULL OF LIFE Ethan Kip. 

Sad he is growing up SO fast!

Finally at the end of the trail
after a 7.5 mile hike!

Did we find any flowers, 

you might ask? The answer is YES!! 

I savored and enjoyed each little patch of flowers we encountered on our wonderful hike in the mountains!
Absolutely Gorgeous!

Bye Bye Tetons...

we'll be back to see you again soon and enjoy more of the BEAUTY that you so abundantly offer!

The End!